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S-'IfAfIfESY PATENT OFFICE sAui.. s. FITCH, `QF NEW YORK, N. Y.

SUPPORTER.

Specication of Letters Patent No. 7,186, dated March 19,` 1850.

Be it known that I, SAMUEL S. FITCH, of; the city, county, and State of New York,

have invented a new and Improved Abdominal Supporter; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full and exact` description.

` The nature of Inyinvention consists in a` padto support the abdomen, said padbeing supported by means of two elast-ic steel bands which pass over the hips Kto the col-` umns of the back where they each are fastened to, and rest upon,the middle of an S plate of elastic steel, each end of the S` plate having upon it a pad which rests upon the back and thus by this combination is the bdomen supported and the back uninjure To enable others skilled in the art to make and use my invention I will proceed to describe its construction and operation.

Figure 1, isa representation of the supporter.` Fig. 2, represents its applicationtol the back. Fig. 3, represents its application:

to 4the abdomen.

`The abdominal supporter consists of four arms-two long, and two short-and of five padsfone large and four small-f which are constructed, shaped and combined as fol-` lows, and are intended to sustain and strengthen the small ofthe back,` and supportand hold up the bowels and "pendulous abdomen, and thus prevent and cure a sinking of the contents of the chest,`the lungs and heart, as also the liver, stomach, spleen, upper and lower bowels &c., and their coveriiig contents also to i arrange and sup-` portthe abdominal rings, andthus prevent the possibility of rupture as well as to sustain and cure any rupture that opens through said rings. 'l Thetwo lesserlarms (b Fig. l) are made of elastic steel plate, and when properly adjusted stand'vertical on the surface of the body, three inches" at the center from each side of the spine at the middle part ofthe loins; these 4arms are connected with the long arms (a Fig. l) by a mortise on the center of the small arms; through this mortisethe end of the long arm passes and is clamped or fastened by a screw (at d Fig. 2). *From the mortise the small arms (b Fig. l) rise upward above the mortise about. an`inch,-or more as the case mayrequiresperpendicularly, "when they are made to `extend one inch inward toward their vertical center, and thus approach within two inches of the spine and then rest on a small round pad (c Figs. l and 2) and are thusplaced 'nearer the spinel and on the short ribs before the ribs begin to curve to form the lateral circle of the body; by this construction they are prevented from pressing on the spine, or on the ribs after they begin to curve; in the former case, that is pressing e on the spine, they would produce dangerous spine dlseases, and by the latter-pressing on the curvature of the ribs-the ribs would be forced inward on the large organs in the trunk of the body, the liver, spleen, stomach, bowels etc.; which would injure these delicate and vital organs-such eifects being ldaily witnessed by using instruments which allow pressure on the spine or onthe curvature ofthe ribs.

Below the mortise the small arm passes `vertically downward about an inch-or more l if the case requires it-when it curves outwardly one inchwhere it rests on a small round pad (c Fig. 2) which is thus carried on to the flat plate of the 0s illium, and by its lpressure serves to strengthen the bones of `the pelvis, and presses on the flat part of the os illium, by which all pressure on the os sacrum is `prevented as well as all pressure on the suture or joint where the' os illium is united to the os sacrum; both of jwhich pressures would weaken the pelvis, rand would be liable to produce most distressing and dangerous nervous and spinal I diseases.

Straight arms placed in the small of the curvature of the ribs, or on the os Sacrum, or

" suture or oints which connect the os sacrum withv the os illium; the doing of any of which will produce thedisease's and injuries before mentioned, all of which are avoided lby using the curved arms as described.

The small arms are connected' to the large arms by a mortise on the center of the small and through whichthe end of the large, arm passed and is firmly fastened by a screw. The longarms (a Figs. 1 and 2) are made of elastic tempered steel plate: the ends `which fasten to the small arms are pierced in several places to receive a screw which passes through a mortise on the small arms,

thus, by loosening the screw, to allow the n e small arm toappro-ach or recede, from the curve inwardly toward the'spine, so as to F spine, at pleasure. The `fiat surface of the las long arms presents itself to the body. The long arms from the posterior ends pass at first outwardly in, nearly, a horizontal position `about 195 inches when they curve up-y ward until it reaches the lower abdominal ring at which place it is fastened by means of a slot and screw (at d Fig. l) to the front pad. The inner flat surface of the long arm is everywhere made to lay fiat to the surface of the body and not to allow its edges to cut the skin. To produce this eect these long arms are cut upon an irregular bevel; the lower and outer edges of the arms are consequently much shorter than the upper and inner edges: being cut on a bevel allows the arms to be bent and shaped so as everywhere to fit the surface.

The long arms in a medium sized sup-- front, is about 9.13 inches: the mode of bend-` ing and cutting the long arms divides each into a long and short lever having this rest at the crossing above the crest of the os illium, and their points of pressure at the abdominal rings in front and at the center of the small of the back, or loins, behind; and by the short arms the pressure is conveyed to the small pads on the ends of the short arms: thus the pressure is conducted and made to fall on the short ribs above and on the flat plate of the os illium below. These long` arms are constructed of steel plates and so tempered as to be perfectly elastic, and bent in such a manner that when free from pressure they will fold inward entirely upon each other.

When the supporter is placed upon the body the long lever of the long arms (a Figs. 1 and '3) raise the front pad (g Figs. l and 3) and with it all the abdomen toward the top 'of the hips or crest of the illium; thus preventing the downward pressureof the bowels upon the lower pelvis, and preventing the bowels from falling upon the rectum, womb, and bladder and uterus, and

large blood vessels that pass through the pelvis and outwardly over the front of the thigh, andupon the abdominal rings by which hernia is produced. By this arrangement no flat pressure is allowed, but a lifting pressure is gained, not much upon the front lof the bowels but upon the lateral columns of the abdominal contents, and thus extending support from the bottom of the sides of the abdomen to both lateral columns of the trunk of the body, support-ing the Y Y and breast,'by lifting all up, pressing upon the short ribs and assisting gently to envlarge the chest; and thus avoids the error of those instruments whose chief pressure is made on the center of the'abdomen or sinus alba.

The sinus alba is a membraneous support that is drawn nearly tight, from the end of the breast bone and two or three short ribs,

at the top, downward to the os pubis or front Pressure upon the 3 cross bone of the pelvis. sinus alba at the chief point of pressure will frequently drag downward and inward to the end of the breast bone and thus diminish bowels, liver, the stomach, the heart, lungs the size of the chest,while a lifting and,... lateral pressure on the lower part of each side of the abdomen contributes to enlarge the chest. v The front pad (g, Figs. 1 and 3) is made as follows It is usually about 65 inches long, fro-1n one side to the other of the abdomen, and about four inches deep, vertical measurement. Its upper edge is-nearly straight; its lateral edges are inclinedinward and downward following the course of the groin; the lower edge is cut out at its center to go above and over the os pubiswhich it covers like a yoke-while the two lateral lower' edges arey carried downward and cut so as to cover the abdominal rings and all the space between the os pubis and groin and occupied much by the abdominal rings. The pad is made of a strong plate of tin or other material cut to its proper shape and padded and covered with any suitable substance.

The shape described above for the front pad combined with the fact of the long arms being terminated at its lower outside edge or the body. The S spring differs from other'- shaped springs in that it is lso formed that when the upper pad is mresting above the short rib, behind its curve and free from the spine, &c., the lower pad is upon the plate of the os illium-the side or long spring en-f ters the socket of the S spring at right angles to the edge of the S spring, and thus obtains for the S spring a different and more favorable bearing than from that of any other shape; the pads preserve their f position and the spring readily yields to the motion of the body.

The long elastic spring or arm, connecting the supporter with the S spring, diEers from others in being cut beveled, and also in its shape when rst cut and before it is bent and tempered to its true shape. Ordinary springs, used in these instruments, when flattened are right lines or straight, as in Fig. 4. The springs used in this inst-rument when iiattened out (or first cut) commence with a curve, having a curve in an opposite direction in the middle and are terminated by a sight line, as seen in Fig. 5. Y

The supporter pad is peculiar in the form of that part which covers the hernia rings; it is thicker at this point, and the long arm terminating here causes the pressing and lifting action directly upon it, while the lower outer edge is fitted to the groin and the lower edge yoked so as to free the os pubis.

What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is- 1. Two short elastic arms S shaped, connected with other parts of a supporter, with a pad upon each endone pad to rest upon the short ribs behind the curve and free v from the spine while the other rests upon that o sliding in and out; the long arm and short arm always crossing at right angles through the mortise.

2. I claim the invention of two long elastic arms, in connection with other parts of a supporter, and with the S shaped arms by a Inortise and screw bolts-these arms so cut as when laid upon a fiat surface that the edge will be convex, then concave and then straight; and formed so as to sit flat upon 'the person, rising above the hips with a point of rest about one third of its length from the back and falling down in front to a pad, and by so adjusting the shape of the arms and point of rest as to press directly upon the hernial rings and lift up the abdominal contents toward the top of the hips.

3. A. supporter pad so formed as-to be thicker on the inside near its lower and outer edge at the point of termination or lower fastening, to it, of the long elastic arms, so as to press directly on the hernial rings, the lower outer edges being cut so as t-o follow the course of the groin, and the lower edge yoked, or cut convex, to go above the os pubis thus acting upon all those parts occupied by the abdominal rings.

S. S. FITCH.

In presence of- GEo. C. THOMAS, E. D. WILLARD. 

